GiftCard Partners Blog

An increasingly diverse and remote workforce brings many challenges to management teams when strategizing and coordinating employee programs such as employee recognition programs. Layer on that the need for employers to show their recognition of workplace diversity and appreciation for individualism, and the challenges multiply. This is why employers increasingly offer gift cards as incentives and rewards within employee recognition programs, as the recipients can redeem with their own choices.
The IGCC rounds it up well: “gift cards empower the recipient with the right to choose the item that most motivates himself or herself”.  Ceridian states that 8 out of 10 employees prefer gift cards over other incentives. This preference rewards for hard work they’ve done and motivates them to keep it up. The simplicity of gift cards has also helps management deliver programs quicker and with relevance and care to the participants. There is a significant time savings in the decision making process…..another important cost savings benefit of gift cards. Also important; purchasing gift cards in bulk offers employers volume discounts. Learn more about how gift cards are used as corporate wellness incentives, healthcare program incentives, and loyalty rewards.[hs_action id="2863"]

Looking to reward employees and show them you care? Showing organizational support with employee rewards for a job well done can be an easy, low-cost way to invest in your workforce. Here are 3 easy ways to incorporate employee rewards into your employee loyalty and recognition strategy.
Take your team out: Using simple gestures like a team lunch out, or a group happy hour after work, or even an activity like a team bowling night, is a great way to reward employees. Getting your team together outside of the office is a great way to bring people together, and form interpersonal relationships while rewarding your employees for the hard work they do. Investing in hard work, and rewarding employees is a great way to keep employees satisfied at work, and raise productivity and retention rates.
Time off: Reward employees with extra time off, or flexible work hours for hard work, or a job well done on a specific project; it’s another low-cost reward strategy that resonates with employees. Time is valuable to employees, especially personal time. Giving employees extra personal time, as a reward is a great strategy to perpetuate desired behavior, and show other employees that going above and beyond will be noticed and rewarded by management.

Why are gamification apps failing to meet organizations’ business objectives 80% of the time? It’s likely due to lack of strategic focus…gamification apps are not used to gamify a workplace; they are used to reward employees for desired behaviorwithin employee programs, such as exceeding safety measures, while conditioning employees to work with optimal productivity. Gamify strategically, with business objectives in mind, and clear communications within employee programs to forge a path to success. Here are a few key strategies for keeping the gamification of your employee program on track. Use the Game: Workplaces are filled with distractions. Make gamification a strategic part of maintaining focus in the employee program. Keep your goals clear, simple, and entertaining for optimal employee engagement. Clearly state the goals that need to be met for rewards to be given out, and how to reach them through the game. Making the game entertaining will maintain employees attention span and help keep them focused on their goals.

As health care models shift and the various pieces of the Affordable Care Act take effect, it seems that both employers and employees are paying more for health care. As a result, employers value health and fitness as part of the value proposition for providing health benefits. Offering health and fitness rewards in exchange for consistently healthy behavior is an increasing trend that is helping employers control the cost of health benefits, and helps employees control both their cost of care and their health and body. Health reward programs can range from cash, to discounts on health promoting activities such as attending the gym on a regular basis, joining a fitness center, or healthy activities like yoga or tai chi. Rewards can also take the shape of gift cards, offered to employees upon reaching certain health goals, or exhibiting healthy behavior like participating in a smoking cessation program. These types of rewards are not as direct as cash, but are equally effective in motivating employees by offering assistance in forming healthy lifestyle habits. Offering gift cards to retailers such as GNC or 
NutriSystem can give employees an extra boost to get healthy and stay healthy, which means lower costs and a higher bottom line for your organization.

Our employees and colleagues, whether we like it or not are the people that we spend the most waking hours with during the week. It is crazy to think that sometimes employers don't make the time to develop interpersonal relationships with employees, and ensure that employees are also forming those relationships at a peer level. GiftCard Partners prides itself on functioning as a company, but also as a family, making time to get to know each other outside of work, and spend recreational time together throughout the year. Treating employees like family build a bond, trust, and an environment that is going to make employees productive and keep them satisfied with their jobs for longer. Here are 3 ways to treat your employees like family to make sure they maintain a lasting relationship with your organization: